Growers are searching for inclusion of the cash crop below price assist scheme by way of the Centre
Turmeric costs are ruling decrease than the same length last year, as the new crop has commenced arriving within the key-producing regions of Tamil Nadu and Telangana on gradual demand and expectation of a higher crop.

This is especially on account of an growth in acreages, broadly speaking in Maharashtra.

Lower expenses at the beginning of the advertising and marketing season has started out to cause demand from growers for inclusion of turmeric underneath the ambit of the minimal help price (MSP) scheme.

The charges of turmeric at the beginning of the advertising and marketing season are ruling decrease via as a minimum a 10th in numerous markets, which includes Erode and Nizamabad, over the identical period remaining year on gradual call for, as stockists are staying far from the markets.

Prices have come down by ₹eight-10 in line with kg in Nizamabad and through ₹8 per kg in Erode over the past two months, stated Premchand Motta, a main spices broking.

“The call for is less right now, and will pick up from April 15 onwards,” he stated.

Motta estimates the 2018-19 crop to be within the area of ninety-92 lakh luggage of 70 kg each, higher than preceding yr’s 71-75 lakh luggage.

In Nizamabad, turmeric prices are among ₹40-60 in keeping with kg, specially because of the higher moisture content material within the produce being added through farmers to the markets, whilst in Erode the costs are soaring between ₹55-seventy two in line with kg.

“The demand is sluggish this 12 months. Normally, it is available in from January 15 and peaks in the course of March. But this year there may be rarely any call for,” stated RKV Ravishankar, President of Erode Turmeric Merchants Association .

Also, the turmeric crop is higher this yr on upward push in acreages and the adoption of excessive yielding varieties by way of farmers. This is regardless of water shortages impacting the yields in a few areas.

‘Include below MSP’
As expenses at the beginning of the season are ruling lower, officers of the Telangana agriculture department these days advised the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) to include turmeric under the MSP scheme. Considered a cash crop, turmeric isn’t always currently among the ones 25 vegetation for which a assist rate is asserted by means of the Centre. Sarampally Malla Reddy, Vice-President of the All India Kisan Sabha, said the triumphing expenses aren’t remunerative for the growers as the price of cultivation is at the upward thrust.

Reddy demanded that the Centre need to don’t forget turmeric among the list of vegetation for which the MSP is said. “The Centre ought to announce a MSP of least ₹10,000 in line with quintal for turmeric,” Reddy introduced.

According to the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) in Kozhikode, the overall location below turmeric is at the upward push in recent years.

“As in line with the records received from Telangana, the region underneath turmeric this yr (2018-19) is around 50,000 ha that is a decline of three,000 ha ultimate yr. Similarly in Tamil Nadu, vicinity has decreased to 23,647 ha in 2018-19 from 25,500 ha in 2017-18. But from Maharashtra, it’s miles learnt that the area underneath turmeric has increased drastically this year and hence they’re waiting for an growth of 15 in step with cent in turmeric production in 2018-19,” stated Homey Cheriyan, Director, IISR.

The average area under turmeric cultivation in Maharashtra for the ultimate five years stood at thirteen,494 ha.

Further, Cheriyan said, that as in line with the data obtained from diverse states, the first strengthen estimate arrived for production of turmeric within the u . S . For 2018-19 is eleven.Forty nine lakh tonnes.

This is marginally better than eleven.33 lakh tonnes produced last yr.

New variety
Cheriyan said that the fast length and high yielding variety — IISR’s Pragati, launched in 2017 — has been gaining traction among farmers. The IISR Pragati, which takes simplest a hundred and eighty days to harvest, offers a 30-34 in keeping with cent yield increase over the country wide and nearby turmeric types.

It gives an average yield of 38 tonnes according to hectare (sparkling rhizomes), that can move as much as fifty two tonnes according to hectare under favourable situations.

India is the most important turmeric manufacturer and accounts for eighty per cent of the global production and demand for the commodity.

India exported round 1.07 lakh tonnes of turmeric worth ₹1,0.5.Sixty seven crore in the course of 2017-18, in step with the Spices Board.